~ by BABY KATTACKAL
Kerala, India
IN THE RIGHT AMBIENCE,
I GREW UP,
THAT PAVED THE WAY,
FOR ME TO LEARN.
FROM NATURE, FROM ITS SIGNS,
THEIR TRUE INTERPRETATIONS,
RIGHT FROM MY BOYHOOD,
MY VALUABLE EXPERIENCE.
IT’S A SMALL BROOK THAT FLOWED
NEAR MY HOME,
THAT TAUGHT ME TO OBSERVE
AND HOW TO TRANSLATE,
THE NATURE’S ELOQUENT SIGNS,
INTO VALID EXPERIENCES,
YES, IT WAS THE BROOK, THE NATURE,
MY FIRST TEACHER.
FROM THE BROOK I COULD LEARN
MUCH, PERHAPS MUCH MORE
OF NATURE’S SIGNS
THE CLUES FOR ENLIGHTENMENT.
I WAS A BOY THEN
SILLY, PLAYFUL, THOUGH, I ANSWERED
THE KNOCKING AT MY DOOR
OF ENLIGHTENMENT.
THE BROOK BECKONED ME,
WITH ITS RIPPLING, BUBBLING, WATERS,
LURED ME TO ITS VERDANT BANKS,
THE RIGHT AMBIENCE FOR A PLAYFUL BOY.
RUNNING, SOMERSAULTING,
SKIPPING STONES, IN THE WATERS,
JUGGLING WITH THE PEBBLES STREWN AROUND,
BUT ALL THE TIME WITH MY DEAR ONE.
BRUNIE, I CALL HER, MY CANINE FRIEND
ITS PRESENCE MADE ME SPRIGHTLY
FLAMBOYANT, SO EXCITED
FORGETTING MYSELF.
ALL THE TIME THE BROOK WATCHING ….
OUR MOVEMENTS, OUR FRIVOLITIES,
WITH FROTHING, FROLICKING RIPPLES, ITS SMILES
WITH RISING RIPPLES, IT’S RHYTHMIC, JOYOUS HEARTBEAT.
DAYS WENT ON UNEVENTFULLY,
MAKING EVERY TOMORROW, TODAY
AND EVERY TODAY, YESTERDAY,
UNFAILINGLY,
ADDING ONE MORE LINK EACH, EVERY DAY
TO THE LONG CHAIN
OF REMOTENESS,
YES, THE LONG CHAIN OF THE PAST
OUR LIVES MOVE FORWARD
FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT
AND THEN TO THE FUTURE
FINALLY TO MERGE INTO ETERNITY.
AND THE TIME MOVE,
FROM THE FUTURE,
TO THE PRESENT,
AND THEN TO THE REMOTE PAST.
NATURE’S PRE-SET WAYS,
OF OPPOSING MOTIONS,
THE FIRST LESSON I LEARNT,
OBSERVING THE NATURE.
IT’S MY CLOSE ASSOCIATION,
WITH NATURE,
THAT CAN BE CALLED LIVING IN NATURE,
THAT BROUGHT ME THE ENLIGHTENMENT,
LEARNING FROM NATURE,
IS NOT MUNDANE KNOWLEDGE,
AS WE GET FROM BOOKS,
AND CLASSROOMS.
BUT ENLIGHTENMENT,
ETHEREAL, INTUITIVE,
THE SUPER KNOWLEDGE,
AND OBSERVATION, ITS TOOL.
ONCE I WAS PLAYING
AS USUAL, WITH MY BRUNIE,
ON THE BANKS OF THE BROOK,
AND THEN IT HAPPENED.
ACCIDENTALLY I STEPPED ON
THE HIND LEG OF MY BROONIE.
NEVER BEFORE I SAW HER,
IN SUCH A TRUCULENT MOOD.
SHE SURPRISINGLY WAGED,
AN ATTACK ON ME,
WHICH WAS QUITE UNEXPECTED
AND UNBECOMING OF HER.
I GOT THE SHOCK OF MY LIFE
I LOST MY TEMPER TOO, MOMENTARILY
GOADING ME INTO THAT CRUEL ACT
QUITE UNBECOMING OF ME, TOO.
I KICKED, SCOOPING IT
INTO THE FLOWING WATERS
OF THE BROOK,
IN MY SUDDEN FIT OF RAGE.
THE BROOK READILY RECEIVED
THE STRUGGLING BROONI, SANS ANY COMMOTION,
IN A CALM AND COOL DISPOSITION,
KEEPING ITS MENTAL BALANCE,INTACT.
IT WAS AGAIN NATURE’S SIGN, A VITAL,
POSITIVE LESSON FOR ME,
“WHAT HAS BEEN DONE,
CANNOT BE UNDONE”.
AND A FOREBODING LESSON,
“NEVER TO LOSE TEMPER,
AT ANY COST,
BUT BEHAVE WITH FORBEARANCE”.
THE LEARNING, HELPED ME
REGAIN MY MENTAL PEACE,
AND BALANCE,
REMORSEFUL THOUGH.
BY THAT TIME BROONI,
WITH HER BROKEN LEG,
UNABLE TO SWIM AHSORE,
DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW, ONCE AND FOR ALL.
WEEKS DISSOLVED INTO MONTHS,
AND MONTHS INTO YEARS
THE PASSAGE OF TIME
MADE ME DIFFERENT.
I CAST OFF MY FRIVOLITIES,
LEARNING FROM NATURE,
MATURE THINKING CREPT INTO ME,
MY PERSPECTIVE OF LIFE CHANGED,
I WATCHED THE WORLD
FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE,
WITH AN OPEN HEART,
I TURNED MORE OBSERVANT.
MY ASSOCIATION WITH THE BROOK, THE NATURE,
SO CLOSE, SHARPENED MY SENSES TO OBSERVE
MORE KEEN, THAT MADE ME TREK THROUGH,
NATURE’S STRANGE PATHS.
THAT HELPED OPEN MY EYES,
INTO THE HIDDEN DIFFERENCE,
BETWEEN LEARNING AND STUDYING,
A SUBTLE BUT VITAL DIFFERENCE.
I LEARNT, WE NEVER STUDY FROM NATURE,
AS WE, IN THE CLASSROOM,
AS THEY ARE THE FINDINGS OF OTHERS
TAUGHT BY A TEACHER MEDIUM.
WE, BEING TAUGHT BY SOMEONE,
THEN THROUGH READING BOOKS,
WE ACQUIRE THE KNOWLEDGE
SECONDARY KNOWLEDGE, THEY ARE.
FROM NATURE, WE ARE NEVER SAID TO STUDY,
BUT LEARN ORIGINALLY,
OBSERVING THE NATURE DIRECTLY
IMBIBING LESSONS, ALL BY OURSELVES,
THE MORE WE ARE CLOSE TO NATURE,
THE MORE WE LEARN FROM NATURE,
THROUGH ITS SIGNS AND CLUES,
DRILLING INTO THE ABSTRUSE MIND OF NATURE.
TO ME THE BROOK IS NOW,
AN EPITOME OF EQUANIMITY,
THE LESSON I LEARNT FROM ITS CALM,
AT THE TRAGIC END OF MY BROONIE.
TO ME THE BROOK WAS NOT SOMETHING
THAT MERELY CARRIED AWAY THE WATER,
NOT ONE THAT HAD SILENTLY WITNESSED
THE CHANGES BROUGHT IN, BY THE PASSAGE OF TIME.
NOT ONE THAT HAD MERELY WITNESSED,
THE CHANGE OF GENERATIONS,
NOT ONE THAT WITNESSED THE GRIEF
OF THE BYGONE ONES AND BID THEM GOOD-BYE.
AND NOT ONE MERELY TO RECEIVE,
THE NEW GENERATIONS, AND WITNESS
THEIR JOYOUS EXUBERANCE,
EXCITEMENT AND EXHILARATIONS.
BUT ONE THAT HAD PATIENTLY STOOD
THE VAGARIES OF THE CHANGING SEASONS,
THE GUSTS OF WINDS, THE BURNING HEAT OF THE SUN,
THE HEAVY SPLASH OF RAIN,
AND MORE, THE PRICKLY CHILL OF WINTER,
THE WINTER WINDS THAT MAKE IT MORE PERVASIVE,
THE HAZEY VISIONS,
GHOSTLY, SPECTRAL.
I LEARNT THE BROOK WAS THE ONLY ONE,
THAT PLACIDLY MERGED WITH THE LIFE,
OF GENERATIONS ON THE EARTH,
AND BECAME PART OF THEIR LIFE,
THEIR LIFE’S HOPES,
HOW TO SHAPE THEM INTO REALITIES,
THAT GIVES A BOOST TO THEIR LIVES,
ON EARTH.
FRUSTRATIONS,
HOW TO FACE THEM TACTFULLY,
TO TURN THEM IN THEIR FAVOUR,
OR HOW TO COPE UP WITH THEM.
HOW TO FACE THE TRIBULATIONS OF THEIR LIFE,
OR HOW TO OUTLIVE THEM,
JUST AS THE BROOK ITSELF HAD WITHSTOOD,
THE TEST OF TIME……….
IT HAD WITNESSED
THE CHANGING FASHIONS,
AND THE LIFESTYLE OF GENERATIONS,
WITH EQUANIMITY.
SHOWING THEM THE VALUES
OF TRADITIONS, ALL THE SAME,
BY TAGGING ITSELF
WITH OLD TRADITIONS.
FROM AGES IMMEMORIAL
THE BROOK WAS THE SAME,
NOT GIVEN TO CHANGES WROUGHT ABOUT,
BY THE EFFLUX OF TIME.
WHENEVER I WAS ON THE BANKS
OF THE BROOK,
IT TAUGHT ME MORE LESSONS,
TO LEARN FROM NATURE.
AS I GREW, I COULDN’T THINK OF A JOB,
OTHER THAN THE ONE OF A SAILOR,
FOR I WAS SO WELDED TO WATER,
A RARE KIND OF MERGING.
THE BROOK TAUGHT ME HOW TO MEDDLE
WITH WATER FEARLESSLY,
AND HOW INTERESTING WAS,
THE LIFE OF A SAILOR.
AS I GRADUATED, I DIDN’T HAVE TO WAIT
ON THE CROSSROADS, NOT KNOWING
WHICH WAY TO ADVANCE IN MY LIFE,
AS MY PLANS WERE ALREADY MADE.
THE BROOK HELPED SHAPE
THE VISIONS OF MY LIFE,
AND I HADN’T TO THINK TWICE,
BEFORE I EMBRACED THE JOB OF A SAILOR.
IT DAWNED ON ME, HOW THE BROOK
LOVED ME, HOW I LOVED IT,
HOW IT TAUGHT ME WHAT REAL LOVE IS!
WHAT MATURE, SENSIBLE LOVE IS!
AS A YOUTH, I FELL IN LOVE WITH CLARA,
AN EPITOME OF BEAUTY,
A STUDENT IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LISBON,
FROM WHERE I TOO HAD MY DEGREE.
INITIALLY, IT WAS A KIND OF COURTSHIP,
WHENEVER I WAS ON LEAVE,
I USED TO TAKE HER TO THE BROOK
AND TAUGHT HER ITS LANGUAGE.
I TOLD HER IT WAS THE BROOK
THAT TAUGHT ME,
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE,
OF TRUE LOVE, AT THAT.
ONCE I ASKED HER
WHAT TRUE LOVE IS.
LOOKING AT ME SHE ANSWERED
WITH THE ELOQUENCE OF A YOUTHFUL DAME;
“TRUE LOVE IS MUTUAL FAITH,
MUTUAL TRUST,
MUTUAL EXCHANGE
OF HEARTS,
SHE PAUSED AND THEN CONTINUED……….
MUTUAL LONGING FOR TOGETHERNESS
AND THE FONDLY FEELINGS OF MINDS
TOWARDS EACH OTHER”.
I TOOK EXCEPTIONS,
” TRUE LOVE IS NOT ALL THAT
IT CAN’T BE DEFINED,
WORDS ARE HARD TO COME BY, TO DEFINE,
IT’S A FEELING,
IT’S AN EXPERIENCE,
WE IMBIBE FROM NATURE,
THAT’S WHAT THE BROOK HAD TAUGHT ME.
WHY WAS APPOLLO FLYING FROM DAPHNE,
HIS ONE TIME LOVE?
THEIR HEARTS NEVER BEAT AT ONE,
TO EXPERIENCE TRUE LOVE.
OTHELLO’S LOVE FOR DESDEMONA
WASN’T TRUE,
HE DOUBTED DESDEMONA’S
FIDELITY.
HE COULD NEVER EXPERIENCE
DESDEMONA’S LOVE FOR HIM, A TRUE ONE
AND THAT GOADED HIM INTO
THAT DASTARDLY ACT OF KILLING HER.
SOMEONE HAD GIVEN,
A PLAUSIBLE DEFINITION,
OF TRUE LOVE,
A NEVER VIABLE KIND.
IT’S WHEN THE HEART GROWS,
AS BIG AS THE WORLD,
AND THE WORLD SHRINKS,
AS SMALL AS THE HEART.
BUT THIS DEFINITION IS GOOD
FOR POETS WITH HIGH-FLYING
IMAGINATIONS,
LACKING IN PRACTICAL WISDOM.
IT’S NOT FUNCTIONAL,
IT’S DEVOID OF THE ESSENCE OF TRUE LOVE,
IT HASN’T THE TOUCH OF NATURE,
AND SO IT FAILS TO BE REALISTIC.
REAL LOVE IS ONLY,
TO BE EXPERIENCED,
YOU SEE A FRUIT,
YOU AREN’T ABLE TO TELL,
IF IT’S GOOD, EDIBLE,
FOR, YOU HAVEN’T EXPERIENCED IT,
EXPERIENCE IS REALISTIC,
THAN SWEET COATED WORDS.
SPEAKING HIGH OF LOVE,
AND GIVING GLIBLY WORDED
PROMISES, IS THE USUAL HACKNEYED
METHOD OF LOVE.
ROMANTIC THOUGH,
FEIGNING UTMOST SINCERITY, THOUGH,
IN THEIR HEARTS THEY ENTERTAIN
INSINCERE THOUGHTS.
THE LOVE OF THOSE WHO WALK,
HAND IN HAND AND SIDE BY SIDE,
CROONING LOVE SONGS, HAS ONLY
THE LIFE OF A LOVE SONG, SO MOMENTARY.
THEY AREN’T TRUE TO EACH OTHER,
THEIR LOVE SOON FADES AWAY,
LIKE THE DYING CADENCE,
OF A LOVE SONG.
IN THEIR HEARTS THEY ENTERTAIN
INSINCERE THOUGHTS
THAT CANNOT BE SHARED,
AND THEIR LOVE NEVER BLENDS.
THEY ARE BELOVED INFIDELS
OWNING A MIND UNSTEADY
WHO BREAKAWAY
AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION
WATCHING THE NATURE YOU GET THE CLUE
WHAT REAL LOVE IS”..
“THEN HOW COULD WE EXPERIENCE TRUE LOVE ?”
INTERCEPTED CLARA.
“THE BEST PLACE TO EXPERIENCE
WHAT TRUE LOVE IS,
WHERE WE STAND NOW I MEAN THE BROOK,
ITS BANKS.
IF IT’S DAY TIME YOU SEE,
THE REFLECTION OF THE SUN
AND THE CUMULUS FLUFFY CLOUDS IN THE WATERS
AN ETERNAL SIGHT.
IN THE NIGHT YOU SEE,
THE MOON AND THE STARS
AND THE CLOUDS IN A SIMILAR FASHION
ALWAYS, AN ETERNAL SIGHT TOO
THE FORCE OF THE RUSHING WATERS
OF THE BROOK, THE FORCE OF CHANGING SEASONS,
THE FORCE OF THE PASSAGE OF TIME CANNOT UNDO
THEIR INTEGRITY, THEIR MERGING, THEIR ONENESS.
WHAT DOES THIS SHOW?
IT’S THE NATURAL, UNBREAKABLE BOND,
THE COHESION, THE INSEPERABILITY
OF EVERLASTING LOVE, IT’S MERGING.
THEY MERGE IN THE DAYLIGHT
AND MERGE IN THE NIGHT, TOO,
THE MERGING IS ALWAYS THERE,
ARRESTINGLY CONSTANT,
UNABATED,INTACT ,SOLID
AND THAT’S TRUE LOVE
AND THAT’S WHAT
THE BROOK HAD TAUGHT ME.